EN C A LY PTA Daviesii.
Least Extinguisher-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
G en. Ch a r . Caps, cylindrical. Fringe o f 16 linear
upright teeth. Veil campanulate, inflated, wide.
S pec. Ch a r . Veil furrowed, tom in the margin. Stem
branched. Leaves awl-shaped.
Syn. Encalypta Daviesii. Sm. FI. Brit. 1183.
Bryum Daviesii. Dicks. Crypt, fasc. 3. t. 7. ƒ . 6.
With. 835. Hull. 264.
F O R E IG N b o tan ists h ave n o t y e t no tic ed th is moss, the
specific n am e o f w h ic h was given b y M r . D ic k so n in honour
o f its origina l discoverer th e Rev. H u g h Davies, w h o found it
in A n g le se a . M r . R . .Brown, now o n a botanical expedition
to N ew H o lla n d , favoured u s w ith specimens from th e North
o f Ire la n d , h av in g observed it o n th e rocks a t Fa irhead, and
p a rticu la rly o n th e fallen c o lum n s o f th e G ia n t’s Causeway,
g row in g in g re a t a b u n d an c e . I t is p e ren n ial, b u t we are not
in fo rm ed o f th e precise tim e o f its fructific a tion.
T h e stems are b ra n ch e d , leafy, an d grow in dense tufts half
a n in c h o r som ew h a t m o re in h e ig h t. Leaves crowded, awl-
shaped, keeled, e n tire , d a rk -g re e n , curled inwa rd by drying.
S ta lk s te rm in a l, e re c t, so lita ry , sh o rt, taw n y , sheathed a t the
base. Capsule cylindrical in c lin in g to ovate, sh o rt and abrupt.
L id co n v ex , w ith a tap e rin g stra ig h t p o in t. F rin g e sh o rt, inc
lin in g inw a rd s. Ve il yellow, sh in in g , furrowed lengthwise,
tipped w ith b row n , and a t len g th to rn a t th e base.
I t is n o t w ith o u t g re at diffidence th a t we refer th is p lan t to
Encalypta ra th e r th a n to Grimmia; b u t th e lin e a r te e th , and
especially th e inflated veil, have d e te rmin ed u s. See th e most
c om m o n species o f th is g en u s in vol. 8. t. 558.